Raphael Stevens

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One year after regulators began clearing Boeing’s embattled 737 Max to return to service, the company says more than 30 airlines around the world have been flying the planes virtually without incident for more than 800,000 hours.
The plane had been grounded for 20 months — the longest such action in aviation history — following two deadly crashes blamed in part on an automated flight-control system.
Boeing has overhauled the plane’s design and software, and paid billions of dollars to try and move past the incidents. But some experts say it remains to be seen if the company truly learned its lesson.

A Boeing 737 MAX 7 aircraft lands during an evaluation flight at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, September 30, 2020.
Lindsey Wasson | Reuters

One year since Boeing’s embattled 737 Max returned to service — following the largest grounding in aviation history — there appears to be a broad consensus in the industry that the plane is as safe as any flying today.
“The question I get asked most frequently is, ‘Would you get on a Max?’ And the answer to that is yes, without question, and I would put my family on one,” aviation safety consultant and NBC News analyst John Cox, said in an interview with CNBC’s “American Greed.”

Much less clear, however, is whether, in its next generation of aircraft, Boeing can avoid the cascade of errors, shortcuts and management failures that led to 346 deaths in two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 — blamed in part on the plane’s flight-control system.
“I had hoped that this would be a major reckoning,” U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, said in an interview. “They would bring in someone new and they would say, ‘No, we’re going to go back to being what we were — the best aerospace engineering company in the world, and we’re not going to watch the daily stock price.’ But that didn’t happen.”
After all, many of the forces within Boeing that investigators have linked to the crashes — including fierce competition with rival Airbus, as well as pressures to cut costs and speed up production — have only gotten more intense as the company tries to regain lost ground. The crisis has cost Boeing some $20 billion, not to mention a significant share of the crucial, single-aisle market now dominated by the Airbus A320.
Even after the return of the Max, Boeing’s commercial airliner deliveries lagged Airbus in 2021.
Last year, Boeing agreed to pay $2.5 billion in fines in a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Justice Department to settle charges the company hid critical information about the Max from regulators and the public. But DeFazio called the penalty a “slap on the wrist,” and has decried what he calls an ongoing “culture of concealment” at the plane-maker.

In a statement to “American Greed,” the Chicago-based company said the crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 led to fundamental reforms.
“Since the accidents, Boeing has made significant changes as a company, and to the design of the 737 Max, to ensure that accidents like those never happen again,” the statement said.

Out of control

Regulators around the world banned the plane in 2019 following revelations that an automated flight-control system known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, could malfunction, sending the plane into a dive, which it apparently did in both fatal crashes.
Boeing had developed MCAS as a quick fix for stresses resulting from the Max’s engine design, which could cause the plane to fly at too high of an angle and stall. MCAS was supposed to push the nose of the plane down to compensate. But in a series of disastrous blunders, company allowed the system to be triggered by a single sensor. And federal prosecutors alleged Boeing engineers withheld information about MCAS from regulators, so most pilots did not even know about the system — let alone how to deal with the potential malfunction — until after the first crash.
After a 20-month review that included design and software changes as well as enhanced training, the FAA agreed in late 2020 to allow the plane to fly again. Airlines around the world began returning them to service last year, though they remain grounded in some countries, most notably China.
In its statement, Boeing noted that “185 out of 195 countries” have returned the jet to service since December 2020, with virtually no reported incidents.
“More than 30 airlines globally have safely operated the 737 MAX for 325,000 revenue flights and more than 800,000 hours, with schedule reliability above 99%,” the statement said.
Cox, who has almost 50 years of experience as a pilot and aviation safety expert, said the changes are vast improvements. “It is less likely that an inadvertent or mistaken MCAS activation will occur, and should it occur, the pilots have better training and more tools to handle it,” he said.

Work in progress

As for whether Boeing can avoid similar disasters in the future, few observers are willing to give the company the benefit of the doubt it once enjoyed.
“The jury is very much out,” said veteran industry analyst Richard Aboulafia, who, like many who follow the company, traces the problems with the 737 Max to a loss of focus at Boeing on engineering, traditionally the company’s biggest strength.
Aboulafia noted that unlike most leaders in the company’s 105-year history, current CEO James Calhoun is not an engineer. But Aboulafia gave the company some credit for adding some engineers to its board and management ranks in the past year.
“That’s good,” he said of those moves, “but nothing like the wholesale change that perhaps should have been made.”
Aboulafia said he will be looking at the company’s next earnings report, to be released Wednesday morning, to see if the plane-maker is putting its money where its mouth is in the form of increased spending on research and development.
Boeing said its R&D expense for commercial airplanes fell by 29% in 2020.
“What did they do in 2021? And what are they expecting for that budget in 2022? Or is the answer to all of this, ‘Yeah, we’re gonna be firing more engineers?’ ” he said. “I would rather it didn’t have a negative number in two digits. I mean, at this point it’s just preserving a capability rather than hope.”
Cox agreed that Boeing is still in transition from a company that overemphasized financial considerations back to its engineering roots.
“Are they capable of it? Yes. Are they taking the steps? Yes. Are those steps large enough and fast enough? I don’t think we have enough information to know that,” he said.
Airlines and regulators, which also came under fire in the 737 Max debacle, also are making changes, Cox said. There is renewed emphasis on maintenance and pilot training. And the concept of certifying a derivative aircraft design — the 737 Max is based on a plane first flown in 1967 — is likely a thing of the past.
“It was a watershed event,” he said. “The economic shake-up in the industry was unparalleled. The operational impact was unparalleled. The impact of society’s demands on the industry was unparalleled. No one in aviation will ever forget the saga of the 737 Max. It fundamentally changed the way that we operate, we build and we train throughout the industry.”
See how the quest for corporate profits pulls an iconic American company way off course — with deadly results. Watch a new episode of “American Greed,” Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on CNBC.

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Merrill Lynch fired a financial advisor in Connecticut after he was arrested for hurling a drink at a smoothie-store worker in an expletive-laden rant captured by a TikTok video.
James Iannazzo was widely seen on Twitter in the video yelling at workers at the Robeks store in Fairfield.
Iannazzo, who had worked for Merrill Lynch since 1995, was enraged that day after his nut-allergic son went into life-threatening anaphylactic shock after having a drink from the store, which led to the 17-year-old boy’s hospitalization.

James Iannazzo (DOB 05/15/1973) was arrested and charged with C.G.S 53a-181ka; Intimidation Based on Bigotry or Bias in the Second Degree, C.G.S 53a-181; Breach of Peace in the Second Degree and C.G.S 53a-107 Criminal Trespass in the First Degree. He was issued a court appearance date of 2/7/2022 at Bridgeport Superior Court.
Courtesy: Fairfield Police Department

Merrill Lynch fired a financial advisor in Connecticut after he was arrested for hurling a drink at a smoothie-store worker in an expletive-laden rant that was captured by a viral TikTok video.
“F—ing stupid, f—ing ignorant high school kids,” ranted James Iannazzo, 48, on the TikTok video taken in a Robeks store in Fairfield on Saturday.

Iannazzo, who had worked for Merrill Lynch since 1995, was enraged that day after his nut-allergic son went into life-threatening anaphylactic shock after having a drink from the store, which led to the 17-year-old boy’s hospitalization.
The video shows Iannazzo at the store’s counter, loudly demanding to know who had made the drink for his son. It also shows him refusing to leave then workers told them they did not know, and when they told him repeatedly to leave because of his conduct.
“I want to speak to the f—ing person who made this drink,” he yelled.
“F—ing b—h,” Iannazzo fumes at a female worker in the story before tossing the drink at her, the video shows.
“You f—ing immigrant, loser,” the Fairfield resident then says before trying to enter an area of the store marked “employees only.”

Iannazzo was arrested Saturday after turning himself in, and charged with “intimidation based on bigotry or bias in the second degree, second-degree breach of peace, and first-degree criminal trespass. He is due to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on Feb. 7.
Iannazzo’s lawyer Frank Riccio said in a statement, “He deeply regrets his actions and acted completely out of character. 
Merrill Lynch fired Iannazzo on Sunday, after becoming aware of the TikTok video, which has garnered more than 2.6. million views after it was posted on Twitter.
“Our company does not tolerate behavior of this kind,” said Merrill Lynch spokesman Bill Halldin
“We immediately investigated and have taken action.  This individual is no longer employed at our firm,” said Haldin, referring to the investment and wealth management division of Bank of America.
Social media sites widely shared the video, with some people condemning Iannazzo’s actions and applauding his termination.
Some others said that although they did not excuse his throwing the drink at the worker, they understood he was acting because of extreme emotion due to son’s medical state, and questioned why Merrill Lynch was so quick to fire him.
Iannazzo in a statement said, “My actions at Robek’s were wrong, and I deeply regret them. They do not reflect my values or my character. I feel terrible that I lost my composure so completely.”
“I had returned to Robek’s to determine what ingredients were in the smoothie that I had previously ordered. I made my regrettable comments because my 17-year-old son was taken to the hospital suffering from life threatening anaphylactic shock,” Iannazzo said. “He collapsed at our home while drinking the smoothie from Robek’s, which contained some sort of nut product, after I had advised them of his nut allergy when I ordered his drink.” 
“After he started to drink his smoothie, my son lost the capacity to breathe properly; his lips and face swelled up, and he required an EpiPen shot, but it did not offer him relief. I called 911.  My son then went to the bathroom, threw up and fell unconscious to the floor. He threw up again,” Iannazzo said.
“My wife gave him another EpiPen while I called 911 again.  Thank God, he is doing okay. I’d like to thank my wife and the first responders who I believe saved his life. This is the worst nightmare of every parent whose child has a similar allergy.” 
“I was out of my mind with fear for him when I returned to Robek’s, and I wish I had not done so. I also wish they had been more careful preparing my son’s beverage. I will be extending my apologies personally to the Robek’s organization, particularly the staff that was working there that night.”
 Fairfield Police said that on Saturday afternoon they received “numerous calls from employees … reporting a customer was throwing things, yelling at employees, and refusing to leave.”
A subsequent investigation by cops revealed that Iannazzo had called 911 requesting emergency workers to his home “for a juvenile suffering from an allergic reaction and was later transported to an area hospital.”

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“A short time later, Iannazzo returned to Robeks and confronted employees, yelling at them and demanding to know who had made the smoothie which contained peanuts, causing his child’s allergic reaction,” police said.
“When employees could not provide Iannazzo with the answer he became irate, yelling at the employees using a number of expletives. He then threw a drink at an employee, which hit their right shoulder.”
“Iannazzo was told to leave multiple times by the employees but remained inside and continued to yell insults at the employees,” police said.
“Iannazzo then attempted to open a locked door that led to an “Employees Only” area where the employees were, behind the counter.”
Police said store workers told cops that “Iannazzo never told them about the peanut allergy but had only requested that there be no peanut butter in his drink.”

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The National Restaurant Association is asking Congress to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
The trade group’s latest survey of operators found that 88% of restaurants saw indoor dining demand wane because of the omicron variant.
The restaurant industry still hasn’t recovered 650,000 jobs lost early in the pandemic, according to the group’s top lobbyist, Sean Kennedy.

People dine at an outdoor dining patio set up at a restaurant on March 18, 2021 in New York City.
Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images

The National Restaurant Association is asking Congress to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund as the Covid omicron variant hits operators’ businesses.
Last year, lawmakers created the $28.6 billion fund to aid bars and restaurants struggling in the wake of the pandemic. The grants were designed to make up for a restaurant’s full pandemic losses of up to $5 million for a single location or $10 million for a business with fewer than 20 locations. Publicly traded companies were ineligible, but their franchisees could still apply.

Since the fund was depleted, restaurants have been pushing for Congress to replenish it. Several lawmakers have introduced legislation to do so, but the bills haven’t gained traction, and the Biden administration hasn’t appeared interested in supporting the measures.
But the latest surge in Covid-19 cases and its impact on restaurants could change minds.
The National Restaurant Association’s latest survey of operators found that 88% of restaurants saw indoor dining demand wane because of the omicron variant. More than three-quarters of respondents told the trade group that business conditions are worse now than three months ago. And the majority of operators said their restaurant is less profitable now than it was before the pandemic.
“Alarmingly, the industry still hasn’t recreated the more than 650,000 jobs lost early in the pandemic, a loss 45% more than the next closest industry,” the trade group’s top lobbyist, Sean Kennedy, wrote in a letter to congressional leadership for both parties.
Kennedy also touted the benefits of the first round of RRF grants. The trade group estimates that more than 900,000 restaurants jobs were saved by the initial round of funding, and 96% of recipients said the grant made it more likely they could stay in business. A full replenishment of the fund would save more than 1.6 million jobs, according to the trade group’s estimates.

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Rules around how to get your free at-home Covid tests vary from one health insurance plan to the next.
The program for those who are privately insured will allow for up to eight tests a month per person, and the tests should be accessible at local pharmacies and online. But each plan has its own quirks.
Here’s what you need to know.

luza studios | E+ | Getty Images

Private health insurers are rolling their procedures for people to get their at-home Covid tests at little to no charge.
The Biden administration announced the policy toward the end of last year ordering insurers to reimburse those they cover for the tests, and additional guidance was put out this month. In addition, free tests are now available by mail to millions of Americans, regardless of their insurance status.

The program for those who are privately insured will allow for up to eight tests a month per person, and the tests should be accessible at local pharmacies and online. But each plan has its own quirks.
Here’s what you need to know.

Do all insurance plans have to cover the tests?

The answer is no.
The 150 million Americans who have private health insurance are eligible. That includes people insured by their employer, as well as those who’ve bought a plan on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace, said Lindsey Dawson, a policy expert at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Those covered through Medicare will not be reimbursed under this program. Medicaid enrollees may benefit from the initiative, with some states setting up a reimbursement mechanism, but you should check with your state for more information.

Short-term or health-care sharing plans don’t have to participate in the government program, said Sabrina Corlette, co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

How does it work?

It varies by insurer.
Depending on your provider, you’ll either be able to get the tests at no upfront cost or you’ll need to lay out for them and then file for reimbursement. In a recent review of policy plans, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that about half of insurers are allowing for “direct coverage,” and half are requiring their enrollees to go through the reimbursement process.
You should call your insurer or look on their website to find out your options.
If you can get an over-the-counter test without paying for the cost, your insurer will likely have a list of preferred retailers where you can do so. For example, United Health Care’s spots include Walmart and Sam’s Club.
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If you’re going the reimbursement route, make sure you hold on to your receipt, said Caitlin Donovan, a spokesperson for the Patient Advocate Foundation
“Your normal receipt should be fine — I’ve even printed out receipts from Amazon — and then you would have to send it in,” said Donovan.
Many insurers are currently requiring the reimbursement forms be mailed to them. Other options include fax and online submission. Some insurers are requiring enrollees to submit product barcode information, as well as your receipt, Dawson said.
Keep in mind at-home Covid tests are also an eligible expense for flexible savings accounts and health savings accounts.

Can I get any test?

Most at-home Covid tests that you can buy online or at a pharmacy will be covered under the policy, as long as it’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“For insurers with a direct coverage option, those tests should be covered in full so someone buying one would not have to worry about a price cap,” Dawson said.
If you buy a test outside your insurer’s preferred network, however, you may only be reimbursed as much as $12 per test.
If your insurer hasn’t set up a way for its enrollees to buy the tests with no upfront costs, which you should find out if they have, you should be reimbursed for whatever you paid for the test.

How many tests can I buy?

You should be allowed to buy at least eight tests a month under the policy. A family of four would be entitled to 32 tests a month.

What if I don’t have private health insurance?

The federal government will be providing up to 50 million free, at-home tests to community centers and Medicare-certified health clinics. You should be able to find one of these centers at your state or local health agency’s website.

What’s more, the Biden administration has purchased more than 500 million over-the-counter tests that are available to all Americans by home-delivery that they can request on a website. Each household can currently order four tests.

When should I use an at-home test?

Dawson cited some of the most common circumstances in which people may want to test themselves for the virus: They’ve come into contact with someone diagnosed with Covid, they’re displaying symptoms of the virus or they’re expected to attend a high-risk event, such as a big family gathering or one in which someone immunocompromised will be present.

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There were more than 5,700 reports of air rage on U.S. airlines in 2021 compared with a typical year of about 100 to 150 cases.
The surge in problem flyers is causing headaches for carriers, passengers and airline employees. 

“Unfortunately I’ve been able to see two of these in person and it’s very unnerving. When somebody freaks out on an airliner, there’s no 911 to call, nobody’s coming to your aid, it’s scary,” said Andrew Thomas, associate professor of marketing and international business at the University of Akron.
One of the biggest flashpoints is mask compliance. Travelers using public transportation, including planes, trains and buses, were mandated by the Transportation Security Administration early last year to wear a mask. By December the FAA had logged more than 4,100 mask-related incidents. 
Alcohol is another factor, flight attendants unions have said. In May Southwest Airlines suspended alcohol sales on its flights through at least January 2022 after one of its flight attendants was assaulted. American Airlines has taken similar steps in its main cabin.
“It’s been very, very difficult for flight attendants. This has been the most troubling and the most stressful time in the course of my career and I think really in the course of all of aviation,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, which represents around 50,000 flight attendants across over a dozen airlines, including United, Spirit and Frontier.
In an attempt to curb the wave of violent passenger incidents the FAA launched a zero-tolerance policy. The agency can propose fines up to $37,000 per violation for passengers who engage in unruly behavior.

So what impact is the rise in chaotic and sometimes violent behavior aboard planes having on the nation’s carriers and flight crews?
Watch the above video to learn more.
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